At least part of the unhappiness about the modest package on offer yesterday springs from the fact that many people had expected much more, an ambitious and sweeping attempt to turn the economic tide.

After all, there has been talk of Mr Brown having an "economic recovery plan" that would banish the dark clouds and usher in a new age of peace, prosperity and happiness. ( "the much hailed government economic recovery plan," in Nick Robinson's phrase. )

Downing Street has been getting increasingly exasperated with talk of the plan, realising that it set the bar far too high for what they planned for this week and next. No 10 says it never claimed any sort of "economic recovery plan" was in the offing, merely a series of targeted measures to help those in most trouble.

But a quick trawl suggests that quite a number of hacks got the idea several weeks ago that a plan was indeed being drawn up.

On August 4, talk of a plan is given a boost when the Press Association's Gavin Cordon, arguably the most solid and trustworthy reporter at Westminster, writes of "a Cabinet reshuffle and the publication of an economic recovery plan, both expected in September." [Sadly not online, though the phrase mysteriously appears in various newspaper stories with different bylines...]

Nowhere in my search can I find an example of Downing Street, officially or otherwise, denying the existence of a plan. Perhaps I missed it.

Still, a glance at the No 10 website suggests that the PM's people missed at least one chance to stop this particular hare running.

As the No 10 scribes faithfully records: "Asked how work was going on the economic recovery plan, the PMS said that the Government remained focused on the overall economic situation in the UK, which had been caused by the global credit crunch and the increase in quantise [sic] prices, particularly fuel."

Later on:

"Asked if the Government was going to bring forward an economic recovery plan in September, the PMS said that a decision of that sort would be for the Treasury to announce."

And that was all it took to give the story wings. The following days' and weeks' cuttings are heavy with references to the great plan that wasn't. And we know now how the story ends.